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HAUTE PROPERTY continued from page 131 impeccably executed. ���These are custom homes masquerading as spec homes,��� observes Bowyer���s architect, Gary Beyerl of Burns+Beyerl Architects in Chicago. ���His homes have everything a family could want, and he���s really thought about fulfilling the needs of this segment,��� says Coldwell Banker broker Elizabeth Ballis, who Bowyer hired to market all of his properties. No wonder it sold 29 days after he put it on the market in November. But fret not, potential buyers: Bowyer has two more nearby properties on the market with similar assets, both ready to deliver in the fall and up for sale now. Bowyer, who is showing himself to be an astute judge of his buyers��� needs and wants, left behind a successful career as a strategy consultant to start Middlefork in the fall of 2008, at which point the housing market was crashing fast. ���It wasn���t the best of times,��� he concedes wryly. But the former architecture student���turned���finance guy had a plan: ���The luxury market was still good but had elongated time frames. So I decided to follow a boutique model and do two houses a year,��� he explains. He stacked the odds in his favor with a shrewdly picked team. ���Gary Beyerl is acclaimed for his exquisitely detailed residential work,��� notes Bowyer. ���He introduced me to our builder, MC Construction Group, and they were not only more economical than every builder I interviewed, they were better. And I���ve known Elizabeth for 13 years. She was my personal broker.��� Right on schedule, his first completed home The kitchens in Bowyer���s homes feature Sub-Zero, Bosch, and other top-line appliances. 132 hit the market in 2010, and Ballis sold it for $2.7 million in 85 days. The spec house next door languished for several years, notes Ballis. And his was the highest-selling property in Lakeview that year. Thanks to his savvy design sense and strategic game plan, today he���s five-for-five after his next four sold (or six-for-five if you consider that first house resold in December 2012 in less than a week for $3.05 million). How difficult is it for a residential developer to succeed in this economic climate? ���It���s like rolling a 1,000-pound ball up a hill,��� quips Ballis. Yet each of Bowyer���s projects has sold in less than 90 days thanks to his scrupulous attention to every aspect, from choosing proven pros to design, build, and market each home to the hands-on attention he lavishes on each one himself. ���He even does his own staging, right down to the flowers,��� marvels Ballis. ���And he���s so selective that he buys the pieces he uses himself.��� Bowyer humbly calls himself ���lucky,��� but he clearly has his prep���and an understanding of the opportunities his market niche offers���down pat. ���I did such extensive research to understand my market segment���s needs that I had a grasp of what I had to do from the start,��� he says. ���But now I���ve had such good experience managing and pricing properties that I believe we���re delivering a superior product for the price. And I figure if I made a go of it in a down market, we���ll be pretty busy as things pick up.��� MA Expansive windows and detailed woodwork grace the living room. THE RIGHT STUFF Andy Bowyer handpicks items on every project from a trusty list of sources. Paint: Benjamin Moore ���Great coverage, durable, and amazing color palette.��� benjaminmoore.com Lighting fixtures: Visual Comfort ���Stunning fixtures and an incredible range of choices.��� visualcomfort.com Plumbing fixtures: Advantage Kitchen & Bath Gallery, Niles ���All the best brands under one roof.��� advantagebath.com Hardware: Clark & Barlow/Studio 41 ���Unbelievable variety and fair prices.��� shopstudio41.com Stone: Stone Source ���Incredible offering of exotic products from around the world.��� stonesource.com Tile: Urban Archaeology ���Extensive offerings, especially of artisanal tiles.��� urbanarchaeology.com Appliances: Custom Appliance, Lombard ���Again, all the best under one roof and incredible service.��� custom-appliance.com One-stop shop: Restoration Hardware ���Great trend-driven design at a great value.��� restorationhardware.com MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM 131-132_MA_HP_Opener_Spring13.indd 132 2/8/13 2:01 PM